contingency fee

British  

noun

1. a lawyer's fee that only becomes payable if the case is successful

---

Example Sentences

If a lawyer is going to charge a contingency fee, the client should be told, in plain English, what the lawyer knows about the underlying claim value.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026

That is enough, they say, for them to earn a living and risk taking cases on a contingency fee basis — meaning, if they lose, they don’t get paid.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 17, 2026

In that case, Cohen had requested $13,578 based on his contingency fee arrangement.

From Salon • Apr. 24, 2023

Past examples of contingency fee arrangements show how lucrative they can be if a case is successful.

From Reuters • Apr. 20, 2023

In most states, public adjusters work on a contingency fee, meaning they aren’t paid upfront but take a cut of the settlement — often 15 percent.

From New York Times • Sep. 10, 2021